Arkansans for Compassionate Care have launched a ballot initiative to allow sick and dying patients to have legal access -- with a doctor's prescription -- to medical marijuana in Arkansas.On Monday, Arkansas Atty. Gen. Dustin McDaniel approved "The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act" as an appropriate November 2012 ballot title.Arkansans for Compassionate Care is working towards the legalization of medical marijuana. They are not working towards decriminalizing the drug for everyone."We're talking about a physician who would be recommending medical marijuana for someone with cancer or AIDS. So you know, this is a serious issue. A doctor's credibility is on the line, if he gives it to somebody who doesn't need it. So this is only for sick and dying patients," said Arkansans for Compassionate Care Campaign Director Ryan Denham.Denham said the point is to make sure doctors and patients dont live in fear of discussing marijuana as a viable treatment option."It reduces spasticity for multiple sclerosis patients, it helps prevent seizures for epileptic patients, it reduces inner ocular pressure for glaucoma patients. It's an anti-nauseate, so it's really good for people that have cancer and people that are on chemotherapy. It helps them regain their appetite. It helps them sleep," Denham said.But some people we talked to said even with a doctors prescription, marijuana is not medication."This is not California. This is a safe town. You start promoting that and legalizing that for medical purposes and then it's going to lead to something else and then something else and then it's going to be worse than what it is," said Fayetteville resident Roger Murphy.Denham said the law is highly regulated to avoid pitfalls. The state would be allowed to have a maximum of 30 non-for profit dispensaries and if a patient lived more than five miles from a dispensary they would be allowed to grow up to six marijuana plants.The petition needs 60,000 signatures by July 2012 to make the November ballot.If the act makes the 2012 ballot, it just needs a simple majority to become law.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. —

Arkansans for Compassionate Care have launched a ballot initiative to allow sick and dying patients to have legal access -- with a doctor's prescription -- to medical marijuana in Arkansas.

Arkansans for Compassionate Care is working towards the legalization of medical marijuana. They are not working towards decriminalizing the drug for everyone.

"We're talking about a physician who would be recommending medical marijuana for someone with cancer or AIDS. So you know, this is a serious issue. A doctor's credibility is on the line, if he gives it to somebody who doesn't need it. So this is only for sick and dying patients," said Arkansans for Compassionate Care Campaign Director Ryan Denham.

Denham said the point is to make sure doctors and patients dont live in fear of discussing marijuana as a viable treatment option.

"It reduces spasticity for multiple sclerosis patients, it helps prevent seizures for epileptic patients, it reduces inner ocular pressure for glaucoma patients. It's an anti-nauseate, so it's really good for people that have cancer and people that are on chemotherapy. It helps them regain their appetite. It helps them sleep," Denham said.

But some people we talked to said even with a doctors prescription, marijuana is not medication.

"This is not California. This is a safe town. You start promoting that and legalizing that for medical purposes and then it's going to lead to something else and then something else and then it's going to be worse than what it is," said Fayetteville resident Roger Murphy.

Denham said the law is highly regulated to avoid pitfalls. The state would be allowed to have a maximum of 30 non-for profit dispensaries and if a patient lived more than five miles from a dispensary they would be allowed to grow up to six marijuana plants.

The petition needs 60,000 signatures by July 2012 to make the November ballot.

If the act makes the 2012 ballot, it just needs a simple majority to become law.